Archimedes Texts

SALV. I would answer for my self in general terms, that if
it were appointed by the will of God, that the Earth should cease
from its diurnal revolution, those birds would do what ever should
please the same Divine will. But if this Author desire a more
particular answer, I should tell him, that they would do quite con
trary to what they do now, if whilst they, being separated from
the Earth, do bear themselves up in the air, the Terrestrial Globe
by the will of God, should all on a sudden be put upon a precipi
tate motion; it concerneth this Author now to ascertain us what
would in this case succeed.

SAGR. I pray you, Salviatus, at my request to grant to this
Author, that the Earth standing still by the will of God, the other
things, separated from it, would continue to turn round of their
own natural motion, and let us hear what impossibilities or incon
veniences would follow: for I, as to my own particular, do not
see how there can be greater disorders, than these produced by the
Author himself, that is, that Larks, though they should flie, could
not be able to hover over their nests, nor Crows over snails, or
rocks: from whence would follow, that Crows must suffer for
want of snails, and young Larks must die of hunger, and cold, not
being able to be fed or sheltered by the wings of the old ones.
This is all the ruine that I can conceive would follow, supposing
the Authors speech to be true. Do you see, Simplicius, if grea
ter inconveniences would happen?

SIMP. I know not how to discover greater; but it is very cre
dible, that the Author besides these, discovered other disorders in
Nature, which perhaps in reverend respect of her, he was not will
ing to instance in. Therefore let us proceed to the third Obje
ction. Insuper quî fit, ut istæ res tam variæ tantùm moveantur
ab Occasu in Ortum, parallelæ ad Æquatorem? ut semper movean
tur, nunquam quiescant? [which speaks to this sense:] Moreover,
how comes it to pass that these things, so diverse, are onely moved
from the West towards the East, parallel to the Æquinoctial?
that they always move, and never rest?

SALV. They move from West to East parallel to the Æqui
noctial without ceasing, in the same manner as you believe the
fixed stars to move from East to West, parallel to the Æquinocti
al, without ever resting.

SIMP. Quarè, quò sunt altiores, celeriùs; quò humiliores, tar
diùs? (i. e.) Why are the higher the swifter, and the lower the
slower?

SALV. Because that in a Sphere or circle, that turns about up
on its own centre, the remoter parts describe greater circuits, and
the parts nearer at hand describe lesser in the same time.